MVUM rant again... Still...

[Ohthatguy]

Ever since the implementation of the MVUM travel restrictions, I have followed the maps and stayed off the closed roads. While in 7E this last week, it seems few know or care about the restrictions/closures. Many many camps set up on closed roads and campsites. 

It is so dang annoying to hike in over a mile to a great spot only to find 2 quads and multiple trucks driving around. The 2 trucks just creeping along road hunting with several hunters in each. There was even a traffic jam and I made a comment to one guy that was pulling over to allow the other truck to pass about how it really sucks to have these traffic jams on closed roads. He was either too stupid or embarrassed to do anything other than crack a stupid smile. I think next time I will just keep walking down the middle of the road and not move over to let him pass. He can follow me out at walking speed. And if he wants to get pissy and do something silly, I'll gladly play along.  This and finding other people driving down EVERY SINGLE closed road that I glassed is just stupid.

I have no problem with the FS closing down roads as I feel there are too many now. I do however have a problem with them doing it without any type of enforcement and not placing any type of signage on the roads so Joe Blow and his freaking flip flop wearing family has some idea that it's a closed road.  From what I understand, they can't afford to place signs on the roads.  So they can put up signs that say "Don't drive on road when flooded" and "Don't drive on bridge when underwater" but expect people to read a single sign when entering a forest and reference a map that they don't have to determine what roads are actually open?  C'mon, people are stupid! Hence the previously mentioned signs. The truly ignorant ones I don't really blame as when a heavily traveled road with a posted forest road # is an option, why not go down it? Everyone else does.. 

If they truly need the revenue for signs, start issuing citations to all the people on closed roads. One person could have issued thousands of dollars worth of them in the small area I was in. 

I am very close to saying "Screw it, I'm goin in, up, on and over."

Anyway, it was nice to be up there even if half my time was wasted by hiking into areas that I could have just driven into as so many others did.

 

 

[Big Browns]

Honestly without proper signs or road blocks it's almost impossible to stop people from driving them.  To be honest, it I drove into 7 East to hunt I would have no idea any roads would be closed.  I would never think to look up the areas road closures, because that's not a normal thing to do.  Plus in most areas if a road is closed to vehicles it's marked, therefore I wouldn't think to look.  

I know it sucks, but I feel the blame is on the Forest Service and not the hunters.  That is of course if they truly didn't know.

[dusty]

Took me about a yr and a half to quit worrying about it.

 

[brian390]

The maps don't work because people aren't going to pull their maps out at every intersection. That's just stupid. They pretty much would have to remove the road out of sight with seed, use signs, or dig trenches where you wouldn't want to go down them.

[AzDiamondHeat]

signs don;t work either and "road blocks" are only a mild deterrent. The yahoos with the suped up side by sides only look at those as a minor inconvenience.

In my opinion the ONLY way to get these people to obey the law is to get boots on the ground and issue citations.

I am not a fan of big brother, but I am a HUGE fan of having my forest protected. I am willing to give up a little of my "freedom" to protect the resources so that it is ALL not taken away....

[Ringer]

I was up in my unit this morning again. People have driven the closed roads every time I have been there. There were two FS guys on a side by side last week that were looking for lawbreakers so they are trying. It is kind of ridiculous to expect flatlanders to spread out a map the size of my kitchen table and figure it out on their own. Most of the people I saw likely couldn't read a map. Just wait until elk are down and watch everyone drive right up to them.

[brian390]

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[PRDATR]

The only way people know about it is by hearing of it on sites like this and being informed. Maybe 1% of the hunter in this state are on here. Maybe not even that so how is John Q Public supposed to know there is even a travel management plan if it isn't posted with signage? There is nothing I have seen in the Phone Book sized Hunting Regs mentioning it. Not that it would matter since nobody really reads them anyway and why would you, since now everyone puts in for draws online.

I tried to follow it the first year or so when maps were out but now I don't waste my time, fine me. I'll see them in court. It the road is marked closed or barricaded I'll comply but that's it.

Rant off.

[oz31p]

Last year and the year before I spoke with fs personal in 7e and they told me the travel management plans were intentionally not being enforced. Something to the effect of the local management did not agree with what the feds were pushing from dc 

[oz31p]

2 hours ago, PRDATR said:

The only way people know about it is by hearing of it on sites like this and being informed. Maybe 1% of the hunter in this state are on here. Maybe not even that so how is John Q Public supposed to know there is even a travel management plan if it isn't posted with signage? There is nothing I have seen in the Phone Book sized Hunting Regs mentioning it. Not that it would matter since nobody really reads them anyway and why would you, since now everyone puts in for draws online.

I tried to follow it the first year or so when maps were out but now I don't waste my time, fine me. I'll see them in court. It the road is marked closed or barricaded I'll comply but that's it.

Rant off.

Thats not a rant that’s the dam truth. Build a berm and pipe gate it or leave it be, ya can’t close a road on a digital map. 

[Elkaddict]

Was walking a closed road in 5bs yesterday when a truck came by, I told him it was closed but sure didn’t blame him for being on it since it was obvious there had been a lot of traffic the last few days. I have a friend that got a ticket in 5a last year, $150 fine. He was told the next one would be $1000, at that rate you walk the closed roads and put up with the people that either don’t know or choose to ignore. I wish there was clear choice of what to do.

[Ringer]

Good to know about the fine. I am 69 and will ride the quad in to close as I can if I get an animal down and cut up. $150 is worth it.

[Ohthatguy]

5 hours ago, Ringer said:

Good to know about the fine. I am 69 and will ride the quad in to close as I can if I get an animal down and cut up. $150 is worth it.

That's a call each individual has to make. One can simply disregard and ignore the laws and weigh the punishment against the benefits. If you down an elk, they do allow limited use of a vehicle off road in some areas.

And I would suspect that driving off-road would result in a bigger fine than simply driving down a closed road, so the $150.00 fine may be a bit optimistic for tromping through a meadow or two.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3817477.pdf

[cosninocanines]

20 hours ago, brian390 said:

The maps don't work because people aren't going to pull their maps out at every intersection. That's just stupid. They pretty much would have to remove the road out of sight with seed, use signs, or dig trenches where you wouldn't want to go down them.

Agree!  Signs are needed however blocking the roads could have an adverse affect on fire crews responding to a fire. Generally first responders are in a pickup or small engine and trenches or boulders would slow the response down considerably.

[GJMauro12]

I love these rants, I can’t stand the MVUM. I don’t mind the hikes but I have been ticketed before. I don’t plan on being ticketed Again, but we’ll see in September when I take my 72 year old grandpa on his archery bull hunt. He doesn’t get around well anymore so I plan to have him sitting blinds most of the time and I may end up driving closed roads to drop him places If need be. 

I guess if I end up with Another ticket this year then oh well. It could be his last hunt at his age  and some of the closed roads are absolutely ridiculous.